(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical interlock assembly, and more particularly, to a torpedo tube breech door locking and breech door/muzzle door and slide valve mechanical interlock system.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
There are two primary breech door and breech door/muzzle door and slide valve interlock systems which presently exist. The "Mk 65" mechanical interlock system requires the breech door to be hinged approximately 90.degree. to match the centerline of the tube, to be moved axially to approach the tubes breech face, and then to be rotated to thread lugs on the door into lugs which are machined into the tube barrel. As a result of these three motions, the breech door/muzzle door interlock system is quite complex and requires a large number of moving parts, including multiple gears, shafts, racks, supports, etc. The "Mk 63" mechanical interlock system requires the breech door to be hinged approximately 90.degree. to match the centerline of the tube and to be secured to the tubes breech face by the rotation of a locking ring which is threaded onto the outside diameter of the tube. The "Mk 63" mechanical interlock system suffers from the disutility of being complex, due to the location of components on the tube, and due to the fact that some models of the "Mk 63" system have incorporated additional slide valve actuators which must also be mechanically interlocked with the system. In addition, the locking ring is large and highly stressed due to the necessity for it to span from the outside diameter of the barrel to the location where its lugs can capture the breech door lugs.